Method of distributing air



June 1936- A.- E. STACEY. JR. ET AL 2,046,215

I I METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING AIR Filed-Ju1y 27, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 1 L L L L L L L L L N a a a T '1 g L L L L L IN VEN TORS flZfiedEJtac'eyJr@CharlesEEmsi A TTORNEY June 1936- A. E. STACEY. JR. ET AL 2,045,215

METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING AIR Filed July 27, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTORS E 4 mmdflszm J2: 6 CbarlesEErnsi BY 44M 3/ A TTORNEY J1me 1936- A. E. STACEY, JR, ET AL 2,046,215

METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING AIR Filed July 27, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 n w R Q \s o W mmmmmmflu M k m 7 \b NH NN E MN P m S IN V EN TORS.

flZfred E. Siacey JmS C'iz arlrsEEms! BY AQMQL/ A TTORNEY Patented June 30, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Ernst, Elizabeth, N. L,

assiguors, by mesne assignments, to Carrier Engineering Corporation, v Newark, York N. J., a corporation of New Application July 27, 1932, Serial No. 624,956

IClaim.

ture efiect as a small quantity of introduced air From an economic having a large differential. standpoint, however, the latter method is preferable, because smaller ducts to convey the introdued air may be used, as well as smaller fans,

motors, conditioning apparatus and auxiliaries, thereby saving money in construction and, more important, saving space. ditioned air may be delivered to outlets at a higher pressure, thereby still further enabling re- Bill duction in the size of delivery ducts. Although it has long been recognized that a material saving could be realized by introducing a small quantity of air at a large temperature differential into an enclosure, this method has not been generally adopted, because its application has heretofore been accompanied by various troubles, principally drafts and the production of noise.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of air distribution whereby an enclossure may be conditioned satisfactorily by the introduction of air with a large temperature difierential.

Another object is to provide a method of conditioning the air within an enclosure without causing drafts, streaks, or uneven temperature conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means for utilizing air at a relatively high pressure in an air conditioning system without causing objectionable noise.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a plurality of openings arranged in an outlet panel, each of the openings having means for allowing air easily to pass therethrough with a minimum or" noise.

Another feature of the invention resides in the formation and grouping of a series of openings at the outlet to a supply duct whereby the noise of air transmission and discharge is substantially wholly or in greater part reflected back within the duct and prevented from entering the enclosure served by the duct. I

A further feature covers the arrangement of Furthermore, the cona plurality of openings in an air outlet structure and the proportioning of the area of each opening with respect to the solid area surrounding the opening, whereby the air in the enclosure served by the structure will be adequately recirculated and mixed with the conditioned air to form a series of tempered streams resulting in air movement and the imparting of equable air conditions throughout the area served.

Another feature enables the use of slots or narrow openings in a plurality of difierent arrangements in outlet structures whereby the requirements of varying types of air conditioning systems and air distributing conditions will be met.

Other objects and features of the invention making for simplicity and economy in manufacture and installation and providing efficiency in air distribution and air conditioning operation will be more apparent from the accompanying description of typical forms of the invention to be read in' connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of an air outlet adapted to carry out the objects of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of Fig. l on the line 3-3, showing the outlet mounted in an air conduit, and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of an enclosure, in. diagranunatic form, illustrating the air circulation obtained with an adaptation of applicants method and means of distributingair.

In the drawings, similar designations referring to similar parts, 5 is a plate, preferably of metal, although wood, bakelite, or similar material can be used, having a series of slots i3 therein. The slots t are spaced. apart, and it has been found desirable in practice to have the spacing between the slots from 2 to 5 times as great as the width of the slot. To prevent the creation of noise apt to result from the rush of air through the plate, it is highly important that the inner side of the plate present as smooth 5. surface as possible to the flow of air, and this is accomplished by turning the edges of the slots outwardly, as shown in Fig. 3. As a result, a series of individual nozzles i are formed. Although it is apparent that a, large number of small circular nozzles could be punched in a plate in a similar manner, applicants prefer the slotted type shown in the drawings, for reasons hereinafter set forth.

The plate 5 has holes along its edges through which screws 8 may be inserted to hold the plate,

which covers the end of an air duct'i, in-place. As shownin Fig. 3, the plate is attached to flanges II formed on the ends of duct 9. Between plate 5' and flanges Ill is preferably inserted a layer of felt or corl-: H.

To provide a damperor closure member so that part of the slots may be covered, for purposes hereinafter explained, a flat plate I2. is hinged or otherwise pivotally attached to plate 5. A 'covering'of-felt or similar material is preferably placed over the plate l2. Fastened to 5 and resting on the duct 9 is a flat relatively deep angle piece 53. A threaded bolt II is journaled I at its-head end near the bottom of plate 5 and near its other end in the upright part of angle l3. A nut E5 is locked, in any convenient manner,,on the end of the bolt, so that the bolt and nutmay be turned, but without withdrawing the bolt. Threaded on the bolt II is a cup shaped.

angle iron 56 having a projection ll against which the damper plate i2 may rest. Obviously, a fiat threaded bloclgor similar device, having a projection similar to I! could be substituted for IS. The angle piece 16 is suiiiciently deep so that it rests upon the long leg of piece B, but is not attached thereto, and is of sufficient width so that it will not turn. Therefore, upon turning the bolt ll and the nut 15, locked thereto, the piece 18, since it cannot rotate, will either advance or retreat, depending on the direction of rotation of the screw. If, for example, i4 is rotated clockwise, IE will advance toward plate 5, and projection i1, resting against the hinged damper 12 will swing the dampertowards its closed position. Conversely, rotating bolt 14 counterclockwise will cause 16 to retreat and the 45 the slots 6 and be discharged by the nozzles I distance before beginning to difluse downwardly" tively large.

in relatively thin sheets. Upon discharge from the nozzles, the velocity of the air be greatly increased with a consequent drop in pressure,

' hence, producing an area of low pressure surrounding each thin stream of air. As indicated by the arrows on Fig. 4, the streams of due 7 to their velocity, will carry a relatively great toward the floor. The room air will move into the low pressure area surrounding the indiyidual air streams and will be entrained and mixed with the amount of air entrained by a high velocity jet is a function of surface area of the air stream, that is, a function of the perimeter of the jet. Hence, to secure entrainment of a relatively large volume of room air for each. volume of'condltioned air introduced, the ratio of the perimeter of the jet to the area of the jet must berela- This ratio is hereinafter referred to as the perimeter-surface ratio. In-practice, applicants secure the necessary'ratio by introducing air through narrow slotted nozzles, the ratio of the perimeter of the nozzles to the free area of the nozzles being relatively large. Thus, a quantity of primary air, introduced into the enclosure in the form of thin sheets, presents a relatively large perimeter surface to the air the consequent large perimeter-surface ratio, a

larger amount of room air will be recirculated or entrained with the conditioned air than has been possible with previous types of discharge means. Thus, wi'th'thls device, smaller quantities of supply air may be introduced into the enclosure'at larger temperature diflerentials than .has heretofore been possible, and higher pressures may be used.

By turning the edges of the slots in well rounded curves, as shown in Fig. 3, and by breaking the air stream up into a large number of A The formation of slots i in plate i enables' slots, and this solid area serves to reflect back into the duct a great part of the noise incident to air transmission through the duct to the outlets. Although this solid areais provided for this purpose, the free area, comprising the slot openings, is suflicient to permit a volume of air to be delivered adequate for conditioning and circulation purposes. The prov sion if slots in the form of nomles having rounded edges does not interfere with the delivery of air at desired high velocities, and at the same time, asures freedom from whistling and kindred noise.

A duct 18 is shown in Fig. 4 through which vice or it may be disposed of in any other desired manner.

Thad-sniper i2 isusedtoadjusttheamountof air issuing from the outlet. If. for example, this type outlet were used in a system desmned to condition a number of rooms, it is probable that the rooms would not all be of the same size or require the same quantity of air. Device l2, therefore, serves as a throttling damper, and by opening or closing the damper, the quantity of air discharged and the distance which it will carry my be regulated. In practice, the damper lzwlllbesetinonepositionandwlllremain there. Y I In some installations, it may be found desirable to provide-ameans to regulate the volume of air either by hand operation or by automatic means, and at the same time maintain constant the dis-. tance through which'the air will blow. For example, a room in which the-number of people vaa smaller quantity. However, the length of the room has not changed and in order to prevent drafts, the distance through which the air will blow must be maintained. In this case, a damp- 66- er, such as a slide, maybe provided so that one or more or the slots may be completely closed with out inmrfering with the remaining slots.

Fig. 2 shows a different arrangement of the slotted outlet described in connection with m. In this case, the slots are arranged as radii oi a circle. The edges of the slots are turned in the same manner as was previously described in oonnection with Fig. 3, thereby forming a series of .ries greatly would require a large quantity of air co 'at one time and at another time, it would require.

thin nozzles. This design is adapted to be em- 15 ployed in connection with round ducts, or it might be tounddesirable from an artistic point oi view.

Although square and round types of outlets are illustrated, it is apparent that the same principles may be employed in connection with outlets variously iormed and containing slots or series of slots in diflerentpositions and groupings.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A method of distributing air within an enclosure which comprises supvlyins conditioned air to a point adjacent the enclosure at relatively great static pressure, expanding said air substantially to the pressure existing within the enclosure, said air being expanded and discharged directly within the enclosure in the form of thin elongated high velocity streams in a direction substantially parallel to the floor oi the enclosure, whereby air within the enclosure is induced to move and mix with the introduced air tor the purpose of attemperating the same.

AIJ'RED E. STACEY, JR.

CHARLES EDSON ERNST. 

